Xinhua Headlines: Chinese medical services boost healthcare in Africa

DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Since the first Chinese medical team arrived in Africa in 1963, all kinds of non-profitable Chinese medical services have contributed to the continent's healthcare and saved the lives of tens of thousands of people.

In recent years, cooperation in healthcare between China and Africa has witnessed tremendous results, helping to forge close ties between the two.

DECADES OF HELP

Through decades of medical cooperation and exchanges, China has exerted all means to assist Africa, including building medical institutions, providing medicines and medical devices, organizing training sessions, and offering scholarships to African medical talents.

From Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to Windhoek in Namibia, 43 Chinese medical teams are working round the clock providing services across Africa.

China has sent over 20,000 medical workers to Africa since 1963 and some 200 million African people have benefited as a result.

When the outbreak of Ebola virus disease picked up pace in West Africa in 2014, China sent over teams with no hesitation.

In February 2014, an Ebola epidemic broke out in Guinea and later spread to Sierra Leone and Liberia, while other countries also reported infection cases. The outbreak claimed hundreds of lives in months and posed a great threat to the affected countries.

Since the outbreak, China has carried out its largest aid program in the area of health, providing several rounds of financial aid to Africa, sending hundreds of medical personnel and public health experts to the affected countries and training local medical workers.

"China has always stood with Liberia as a true friend," then Liberian President Sirleaf said, noting China's assistance and contributions to her country's fight against the Ebola disease has been well noted.

According to Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Wang Ke, medical and health cooperation between the two countries began in 1960s when the Chinese government started sending medical teams to Zanzibar and the Tanzania mainland.